


A Thing for Fools, This

by frapandfurious



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Evil Space Boyfriends, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Protective Hux, Protective Kylo Ren, no one dies I promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-24
Updated: 2016-06-24
Packaged: 2018-07-18 00:28:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7292284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frapandfurious/pseuds/frapandfurious
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>His vision narrowed down to one point, <i>Ren Ren Ren</i>, everything around that a blur. His body seemed to move on its own, starting at a brisk walk and breaking into a sprint. He ignored the yelling and the blaster fire and the debris settling, willed his legs to move faster, lunged forward...</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Thing for Fools, This

**Author's Note:**

> _Tis a fearful thing to love what death can touch._

After Starkiller was destroyed there were two significant changes in Hux's life.

 

The first, and most significant, was that he had somehow fallen absurdly, dangerously in love with Kylo Ren.

 

Absurdly because they were soldiers, commanders, killers; love wasn't supposed to be in their repertoire. But after their mutual failure that day they found solace in each other, and it grew from there before either of them could stop it. Now, neither of them wanted to.

 

Dangerously because suddenly Hux felt a shift in his priorities, and at the top, competing with his duties as general, was caring for and protecting Kylo Ren.

 

Which led to the second significant change in Hux's life. Now that they were truly at war, he couldn't very well let Ren go running headfirst and reckless into fights unsupervised. Troopers hardly counted in Hux's mind; ever the control freak, he only felt confidence in himself. Thus, he became a much more hands on leader, joining his men on the battlefield as often as he could, in a command position but there nonetheless.

 

At Ren's insistence he received additional training in both shooting and hand to hand combat, just in case. He didn't think it was necessary, didn't see himself diving into the fray any time soon. 

 

Until he did.

*

It was a battle like any other, and they were _winning,_ and Hux was pleased. He could see Ren's imposing dark form and buzzing red blade from where he and two other officers surveyed the battle. He watched as Ren took out opponent after opponent with ease and felt a swell of pride that someone so powerful was _his._  Their soldiers pushed forward, forcing back the band of armed but outnumbered Resistance sympathizers who thought they could stir up trouble. _Fools,_  Hux thought. There was no fighting the First Order.

 

Just a little further and they'd have them cornered, kill most of them, and take a few in for questioning. It was almost too easy.

 

That's when the explosions started.

 

Hux lurched forward as the ground beneath them shook; the other officers fell but he held his ground, gritting his teeth. They'd done a scan of the area, how had they _missed something?_  The mines must have been crudely made, with materials beneath the detection of their top of the line equipment. Hux sneered at the notion that the group had somehow outwitted them with the same unsophisticated tech that made them inferior.

 

Hux reigned in his fury and began ordering the troops to pull back and regroup. Most of them heard him over the chaos and obeyed. His eyes scanned through the now dust and smoke covered terrain for a glimpse of Ren. _There_. He could just barely make out the distinctive shape of his saber, still swinging, still moving forward...

 

_Still moving forward._

 

"REN!" Hux yelled over the communicator, realizing too late that the damn knight never wore an earpiece, preferring to make his own decisions and orders rather than follow, the _obstinate bastard._

 

When that failed, Hux tried to reach out to the other man with his mind. He had no idea how, without a lick of Force sensitivity, but Ren could hear his thoughts without him even trying to project them, so perhaps if he thought _loudly_  enough, if that was possible...

 

It was useless. Ren was fighting and when he fought he was single-minded and focused; unreachable. But he was still headed forward, heedless of the explosions, uncaring about his own safety and Hux could do nothing.

 

Then time slowed to a crawl over the next few horrible seconds. He saw Ren stop as if he sensed something. Then he started to back away, but he was too late. An explosion went off mere feet in front of him. Hux watched in horror as his body was flung backwards like it was nothing. Though he was still yards away Hux swore he felt the thud of him landing on his back, his helmeted head slamming against the ground. The lightsaber had been hurled off elsewhere, but that wasn't his concern. He watched with bated breath for Ren to jump back up, sit up, to move an arm, _anything._

 

Nothing. Not a twitch.

 

The explosions were ceasing now, only a few here and there, allowing the troopers to regroup and launch a counter attack. But now there were breaks in their lines for enemy fighters to sneak through and attack from within; it was chaos, and Ren was lying defenseless in the middle of it. Hux's pulse pounded in his ears. Adrenaline rushed through his veins. His vision narrowed down to one point, _Ren Ren Ren_ , everything around that a blur. His body seemed to move on its own, starting at a brisk walk and breaking into a sprint. He ignored the yelling and the blaster fire and the debris settling, willed his legs to move faster, lunged forward...

 

*

 

When Kylo woke, he knew before opening his eyes that he was lying on a bed in a private room in the medbay. He could smell the antiseptic smell and felt the dulled sensation that resulted from painkillers. He cautiously lifted a hand to his throbbing head to find bandages wrapped around it. Slowly, details of the battle came back to him. Pushing forward, nearly tasting victory, then...then explosions. Then pain. Then darkness. He forced his eyes open, one persistent train of thought running through his groggy mind.

 

_Hux Hux Hux Hux where is Hux is Hux alright_

 

His fear abated when he caught sight of a familiar head of messy red hair. Hux was seated beside the bed. He had fallen asleep slumped forward with his head on one arm at the edge of the bed, his other arm draped across Ren's lap. He was still in his dirty uniform. He looked incredibly uncomfortable but his back rose and fell with breaths - he was alive and _breathing_ \- and if he'd been badly injured he would be in a bed in another room, not here by Ren's side.

 

By his side. Ren wondered if he'd left at all since...whenever it was they got here. He had no idea what time it was, how long it had been, just that he felt so stiff and sore; he guessed he'd probably been out at least overnight. There was a good chance Hux had been with him all this time.

 

Hux...worried. A lot. He maintained the image of a calm, collected leader well but once Ren had gotten to know him he realized it concealed a deep fear of failure and a frantic, constantly buzzing mind that could imagine several worst case scenarios to any given situation. Usually his worries revolved around his responsibilities.

 

Now that they were together, he worried about Ren, too.

 

He _didn't_ worry about his own health, comfort, safety, or even his life. And _that_ made _Kylo_ worry.

 

He reached his hand out towards the door and there was a click as it bolted shut, keeping out nosy nurses and droids. Then he moved over in the bed and, carefully, with the Force he lifted Hux's sleeping form and laid him out beside himself so he was tucked against Kylo's side, his head on Kylo's shoulder. Kylo put an arm snugly around him and closed his eyes.

 

Not much later, Hux began to stir. Ren felt his breathing change first, then felt his mind ease back into consciousness. He felt Hux tense as he woke in an unfamiliar place, the wheels turning as he took in his surroundings, and finally calming at the realization that they were in the medbay and he was pressed against Ren. Kylo remained quiet through all this, but began gently rubbing Hux's shoulder with his thumb to let him know he was awake. Hux relaxed with a long exhale. He shifted a little, pressed his face to Ren's neck, searching with his lips for something. When he found Ren's pulse point, he pressed his lips there and just let them linger, savoring the steady beat. After a moment he pressed several soft kisses to the spot. As a leader Hux was eloquent with his words; as a lover he showed the depth of his feeling through his actions. Kylo heard him loud and clear: relief, love, and lingering fear.

 

Kylo lifted the hand on Hux's shoulder to stroke soothingly through his hair.

 

"We're safe now," he whispered.

 

Hux shuddered at the sound of his voice and Kylo knew he was thinking how lucky he felt to hear it again.

 

"You're an idiot," Hux mumbled.

 

Kylo huffed a laugh. If Hux was insulting him everything was...maybe not fine. But close.

 

"What did I do this time?"

 

"You know what you did! Charging in like that without exercising caution. You could barely see two feet ahead and you didn't even hesitate!"

 

"I didn't need to see. The Force..."

 

"Oh, yes, a lot of good the _Force_ did you. The bloody Force isn't going to keep you from getting blown to _pieces_..."

 

Hux's voice hitched. He clenched his jaw and pressed his face further into Ren's neck.

 

"...I'm sorry," Kylo said after a moment.

 

Hux remained silent. Kylo tightened his grip around him.

 

"...did we win?"

 

Hux nodded. He didn't trust his voice just yet.

 

_Barely._

 

"What happened after...after I..."

 

_After you almost got yourself killed?_

 

_I didn't...nevermind. Just, what happened?_

 

_Look for yourself._

 

_Alright._

 

Hux closed his eyes and allowed Kylo to slip into his memories. Kylo saw everything as Hux had seen it: the explosions, Kylo disappearing into the cloud of dust, his body being flung to the ground, the panic, Hux running to him, Hux _throwing his body over Kylo's_ , his greatcoat spread out over them both, blaster gripped tightly in one hand. Fearful anger flared in him at the sight.

 

_And I'm the idiot? What were you thinking?!_

 

_I wasn't thinking! How could I when you...you..._

 

Hux's mind filled a new image: removing Kylo’s helmet to find his ghostly pale face; Hux’s hand cupping the back of his head, then coming away stained with blood, so much blood. Beside him, Hux’s breath quickened and Kylo's anger dissipated at the very real possibility that Hux was about to have a panic attack. He slipped his hand into Hux's hair again and massaged his scalp, leaned down and kissed his forehead, and projected calm thoughts until Hux's breath evened out and he relaxed a bit.

 

 _I understand,_ Kylo said gently into his mind, _I would have been the same if it was you. Thank you for protecting me._

 

_Well that's my job, isn't it?_

 

_Your...job?_

 

Kylo hoped Hux didn't catch the slight hurt that accompanied his words. Had Hux only protected him because he was an asset to the Order? That couldn't be true, though, he'd felt Hux's fear for him so strongly...

 

 _Idiot._ Hux's thoughts snapped him back to their conversation. _Not that sort of job. I mean...when you..._  Hux cleared his throat a little. _When you love someone, it is your...not job, but your **duty** and your **privilege** to protect them, is it not? I didn't understand that once but now I do. If I see you in danger or hurting or upset and I fail to do something about it, that is unacceptable._

 

A smile spread across Ren's face. The whole sentiment was so endearingly Hux. Of course with his precise, goal-oriented mind he would view his role in a relationship in such a way. He wouldn't be him if he didn't. Ren could feel the genuine love behind it; that was what mattered.

 

 _You're such a romantic,_  he teased.

 

Hux shifted so he was propped on one elbow and turned to look at Kylo. He gingerly touched the edge of the bandages.

 

_How do you feel?_

 

Ren’s eyes met his. He pressed a soft kiss to Hux’s lips. He just wanted Hux to smile again.

 

_I feel fine. You can stop worrying._

 

Hux rolled his eyes.

 

 _Not any time soon. You’re a constant source of worry_.

 

_Well, I wouldn’t want your supply to run low. I’ll just have to stick around and make you worry every minute of every day. Forever._

There. The corner of Hux’s mouth twitched up just a little, it was more of a smirk than a smile, but it was like the golden edge of sunlight peeking out behind dark clouds. Kylo would take it. Hux kissed his forehead then settled back down against him. Kylo held him tight.

 

_Forever, you say? I’m holding you to that._

_I’d expect nothing less, General._

**Author's Note:**

> Title and opening quote from [this poem](https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/725858-tis-a-fearful-thing-tis-a-fearful-thing-to-love/).
> 
> Find me on [tumblr](http://obsessions-and-dreams.tumblr.com/) . :)


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